Corps economist Kevin Bluhm said up to a dozen people have been working on the data and have been calculating the value of everything that could be damaged. AP (File)
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The corps unveiled the plans at a regional flood management meeting Monday morning in Moorhead. It says the alternatives include a diversion channel through Minnesota, a diversion channel through North Dakota and levees along the bank of the Red River.
Local officials need to make a decision about which option is best for permanent flood protection by the end of this year, although the corps did offer advice. "No option is fool proof, but right now a diversion option is the most robust," said corps spokesman Aaron Snyder. "Always provides a benefit no matter how bad a flood is. It can always provide a benefit to that flood event."
The agency is holding meetings in the area this week to discuss the options. Meetings will be held on Tuesday evening at Fargo's Howard Johnson, and on Wednesday at MSUM-Moorhead's Hagen Hall. Both run from 6 to 9 p-m.
The corps plans to pick one of the options in January and then go through a technical review before releasing a draft report next May.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
